Archives

With our awards banquet just barely past history it seems like a good idea to turn back the old calender twenty years and look at who were the top competitors. Some of the names will be familiar to you; others may stir a few memories in some of you and may mean nothing to others. Let's see who they were.

Dec. 17, 1966 at Twin Hills Country Club could have been called “Kliner Night” as Hank Kliner, besides being installed as the newly elected Activities Chairman accepted (l) the B Sports Gymkhana (now Solo II) trophy, (2) the overall Gymkhana championship award and (3), the prestigious Sunray DX Motor Sports Trophy for outstanding non-racing competitors. Hank earned these honors driving "Baby”, the black 1600 Datsun roadster that convinced many disbelievers that the Japanese could build a winning sports car. Hank's still a member, although not very active these days, and "baby" still resides at the Kliner residence.

Rally awards were given to the champion driver and navigator in Club and Tyro classes. Paul Harris and Jack Breimeir were top Club Driver and Navigator, In Tyro, Jack Easterly was top driver and Chuck Roberts won the award for navigating. Three Oklahoma Region members also received Midwest Division Rally Awards. Bob Brown and Chuck Roberts were 1st Tyro Driver and Navigator. Bob Vahlberg placed second in Master Mechanical Navigator.

Our competition drivers were honored with David Dooley (now there's a name you know) receiving the Race Driver of the Year award. George Johnson was Rookie Race Driver of the Year, The Activities Award for the member who participated most in all phases of club activities was hotly contested with Zebbie Ramsey taking home the trophy.

Another coveted award - Overall Driver, given to the member who competed most successfully in all types of competition was won by Cluck Van Nostrand who raced, rallied and gymkhanad his MGB to the winner's circle.

Presiding over that 1966 awards banquet was another great competitor and pillar of our club in those years, Dan Craig. You could always count on Dan showing up at our events and competing in either the white Mark II Jag or the maroon bug-eyed Sprite. Dan's untimely passing a few years back was a real loss to our Region as well as the community at large.